Accelerated BSN Program graduates during their December 2022 Pinning Ceremony at TESU.
The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions at Thomas Edison State University (TESU) announced today that the New Jersey Board of Nursing has granted reaccreditation for its Accelerated BSN Program for a period of 8 years.
In its confirmation, the New Jersey Board of Nursing thanked the School for its dedicated service to nursing education and granted reaccreditation through 2031.
“The reaccreditation substantiates the quality, integrity and rigor of our Accelerated BSN Program,” noted Dr. Cynthia Baum, provost and senior vice president at TESU. “It also denotes a vital benchmark for the program and we are proud of the school’s staff for this achievement. We look forward to our continuing role in the advancement of nursing education in the state and supporting the collective health and well-being of those in our community.”
The Accelerated BSN Program’s recent National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rates are a validation of the school’s ongoing effectiveness in preparing pre-licensure nurses for the exam. According to data in the New Jersey Board of Nursing’s recently published 2022 NCLEX-RN Program Report on fourth-quarter first-time pass rates, the average first-time pass rate for TESU’s Accelerated BSN Program students is 90 percent (pg. 54). According to Dr. Lia van Rijswijk, chief nursing administrator of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions, the average first-time pass rate across all graduating cohorts since the program’s inception in 2010 is 94 percent.
According to its website, the New Jersey Board of Nursing was established in 1912 to protect the health, safety and welfare of New Jersey’s residents by ensuring that those who practice nursing are qualified and competent to do so. The board licenses registered nurses and practical nurses, and regulates the nursing profession in New Jersey. It certifies advanced practice nurses, sexual assault forensic nurses and home health aides, accredits nursing schools and approves clinical affiliates.
“Our staff works diligently with our pre-licensure nursing students to prepare them to provide optimal care for patients in a variety of healthcare settings, pass the NCLEX-RN exam and be ready to start a productive and rewarding career in the field of nursing,” noted van Rijswijk. “While earning their Bachelor of Science in Nursing, they also earn 9 graduate-level nursing credits. As a consequence, many of our BSN graduates use those credits to jumpstart their Master of Science in Nursing studies and advance their careers.”
The school added a third yearly cohort to its Accelerated BSN Program in January 2022 to keep up with program demand and to give pre-licensure nursing students the flexibility of starting the program either in the fall, winter or spring.
To learn more about the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions, visit tesu.edu/nursing.
Accelerated BSN Program graduates pictured above during their December 2022 Pinning Ceremony: First row (kneeling L to R): Faith Punch, Mollie Auguste, Cassondra Angu, Ana Navarro Bonilla, Caitlin Kalnins, Jamie Cristinzio and Timothy Wise. Second row: Brielle Artis, Kheeda Gopaul, Amilynne Tomaszewski, Katie Kuang, Moriah Lanteigne, Brielle Zagacki, Kathryn Kmetz, Yalitza Melgar and Ashley Moise. Back row: Andrew Harnish, James Marron and Jade St. Omer.
Vi-Anne Antrum, DNP